Rory Boylen's Column

The idea that the Dead Puck Era is returning is folly. Though goals per game are down, 5-on-5 goals per game are up. The phrase “Dead Puck Era” has a lot of negative connotations to it. When you hear it uttered, you picture slow-moving board play, hooking, holding, a lack of scoring chances and just a dreadful overall entertainment experience.

Will the Oilers take another forward or a defender this year?; how will the Predators handle a Radulov return?; and more. March Madness, spring training, MLB opening day, NHL playoff stretch drive and the Stanley Cup playoffs: from now until mid-June, it’s my favorite time of the year.

Will the Sabres get the No. 8 seed? Has Blake Wheeler been Winnipeg's best? Overrated first round picks and more. Playoff races are ramping up, the games are taking on that post-season atmosphere and the best time of the year is closing in fast. Here are some thoughts that raced through my mind last night as I was flipping between Pittsburgh-Phoenix and Winnipeg-Buffalo, while pondering another long-standing pet peeve.

For years Nashville has been a budget team unable to acquire and keep the biggest stars, but is that about to change? If you didn’t already think the Nashville Predators were putting it all on the table in a win-now approach, the acquisition of Hal Gill over the long weekend engraved that message in stone.

Evander Kane has faced the flack of fans and media a few times this season about issues that were never proven to have happened. Through 49 games, Evander Kane’s 19 goals have already matched his career best and before long he’ll eclipse the 43 points he totalled last season.

Sometimes GMs are given a hard time even if they don't really deserve it and here are four examples. Wouldn’t it be great to be the GM of a hockey team and run it how you see fit? What strategy would you take? Would you stick to it throughout?
Because it’s a fantasy job based in reality – and because there are so many passionate fans – there are armchair GMs everywhere (heck, in the fantasy league I’m in, we’re all armchair GMs).

Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa and Brian Elliott are all former Senators returning as all-stars, while the current team is on the rise. OTTAWA – Not only is the NHL All-Star Game a celebration of the sport and its biggest stars (whether you actually enjoy the game is another story), but this year’s edition has a certain taste for the hometown fans.

The coach of the Worcester Sharks is on the verge of a major AHL milestone, but it didn't come overnight. “Anyone thinking about getting into coaching, you better think about moving.”
- Worcester Sharks head coach, Roy Sommer
My favorite part of being a hockey journalist is talking to the fascinating figures who have lived the game on so many different angles.

Amid Cowtown calls to begin the rebuild, Jay Feaster is doing the right thing by pushing to make the playoffs. “You play to win the game.”
– Former NFL football coach Herm Edwards
When Jay Feaster pulled off the Mike Cammalleri-Rene Bourque trade, it solidified his intent to make a push for the playoffs and ignore the outside calls for an all-out rebuild.

Valtteri Filppula has been on the rise for the Wings for a while, but he's finally realizing his potential as a scorer. “The next guy they have there who’s going to be like that is (Valtteri) Filppula. He’s getting there; he’s like a young Pav.

From the return of Jagr and the Jets to flooding the outdoor rink, here are a few things we love about the game. All too often we hear about how our game is broken, flawed, behind the times and barbaric. Most of the time, those reactions are bloated, misleading, sensational, miss the point or are from someone who doesn’t like or understand the game in the first place.

After a dreadful 2010-11 campaign, Brian Elliott landed in St. Louis, which has proven to be a perfect fit. When you think of St. Louis’ goaltending, you think of Jaroslav Halak and his grand potential should he somehow find the magic that pushed him and the Montreal Canadiens to the 2010 Eastern Conference final.